Improved Diagnostics Help to Identify Clinical Features and Biomarkers That Predict Mycoplasma pneumoniae Community-acquired Pneumonia in Children

Meyer Sauteur, Patrick M; Krautter, Selina; Ambroggio, Lilliam; Seiler, Michelle; Paioni, Paolo; Relly, Christa; Capaul, Riccarda; Kellenberger, Christian; Haas, Thorsten; Gysin, Claudine; Bachmann, Lucas M; van Rossum, Annemarie M C; Berger, Christoph

Therefore, pharyngeal swab samples were tested in this study for other pathogens. Two or more pathogens were found in the URT of 20 (69%) Mp-positive and 13 (38%) Mp-negative patients (Table 3) . Sp was equally detected in both cohorts in >60%. Exclusively found in Mp-negative patients was respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; n = 8 [24%]; P < .01), influenza virus (n = 2), parainfluenza virus (n = 2), and coronavirus (n = 1). No virus was statistically associated with Mp positivity. Rhinovirus, adenovirus, and bocavirus were equally detected in both cohorts. Thus, we also compared clinical features and biomarkers of Mp-positive patients against the following subgroups of Mpnegative patients (n = 34): first, positive for RSV (n = 8, as it is the only virus for which detection in the URT has a high predictive value for CAP etiology [16] ); second, positive for other Abbreviations: ANC, absolute neutrophil count; CAP, community-acquired pneumonia; CI, confidence interval; CRP, C-reactive protein; IQR, interquartile range; Mp, Mycoplasma pneumoniae; NA, not available; OR, odds ratio; PCT, procalcitonin; WBC, white blood cell. a Age-specific reference values for hematology were defined as previously described [46] . b According to the admission CRP/PCT ratio for risk of Mp infection in hospitalized adults with CAP by Neeser et al [24] .